Saturday, February 28, 2009

Operation Rescue has kept up with the horrific track record of Kathleen Sebelius on abortion and corruption as she covered up for her friends like Dr Tiller the baby Killer, and persecuted good honest men like Attorney General Phil Kline who tried to bring Tiller to justice.

I am ashamed to reprort that she claims to be a Catholic.

It is being widely reported this evening that President Barack Obama will nominate Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services on Monday."Obama's lack of judgment when it comes to cabinet appointments is especially evident in his choice of Sebelius," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Operation Rescue vows to aggressively oppose Sebelius' confirmation in the Senate. Her cozy connections to late-term abortionist George Tiller and involvement in numerous abortion scandals makes her unfit to serve."Sebelius has supported, and even partied with Tiller, who faces trial next month on 19 charges of criminal abortions.For details of Sebelius' extreme abortion entanglements visit Operation Rescue's

Meanwhile, George Tiller will finally stand trial on charges of illegal abortions at his mill.

Wichita, KS - Moments ago District Court Judge Clark V. Owens released his decision denying the motions filed by late-term abortionist George R. Tiller, which asked the judge to suppress evidence against him and dismiss the 19 pending criminal charges involving illegal late-term abortions.Judge Owens addressed all the concerns that Tiller's attorneys brought up over six days of testimony, especially those alleging outrageous governmental conduct involving former Attorney General Phill Kline.Judge Owens ruled:While Phill Kline testified that he would like for all abortions to be outlawed, his investigations made no attempts to prevent lawful abortions from being performed in the State of Kansas. His procedures have certainly been questioned by the Kansas Supreme Court, but his conduct in the investigation does not merit the sanction of the dismissal of the charges or suppression of evidence.The motion to dismiss or suppress is therefore denied."This decision brings us one step closer to justice," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We continue to pray that true justice will be served on behalf of the innocent, viable babies wrongfully killed by Tiller."Read Judge Owen's full decision

Friday, February 27, 2009

Good News: Ninth Circuit Upholds Church's Constitutional RightsYou CAN take a stand on a political issue in church, if even the notoriously liberal Ninth Circuit upholds it. from Focus on the FamilyThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a ruling Wednesday that held a Montana church in violation of the law for speaking about the state's marriage amendment.Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a lawsuit in 2004 after the Montana commissioner of political practices investigated Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church, following a complaint by a homosexual activist group. The group claimed the church was required to register as a political committee in order to speak about the marriage amendment."Churches shouldn't be penalized for expressing their beliefs,"said ADF Legal Counsel Dale Schowengerdt. "They should never be forced to forfeit their free speech rights just because the government decides to enact unconstitutional laws requiring them to remain silent on social issues."The court ruled the law is unconstitutionally vague and its application in this case violated the church's First Amendment rights.— Devon Williams

at the website of photojournalist Gregory Shemitz. Love his close ups from the Papal Youth rally at St Joseph's seminary in Yonkers. He took my profile photo on Facebook with my daughters.I especially appreciate his slideshow of the Traditional Mass at St Michael the Archangel SSPX Chapel in Farmingville, NY. It includes many of my homeschooling friends at prayer.

And now they're telling the world. They were expecting a child with Trisomy 18 and were bullied by doctors in this London Ontario hospital to abort. This isn't the only time this hospital has been caught performing abortions.- In the wake of the National Post article whitewashing the practice of 'early induction' of babies with lethal fetal anomalies at the Catholic hospital in London Ontario, a mother who was offered the procedure is now willing publicly to tell her story. Nikki Cooke says she hoped that when the original LifeSiteNews.com story on the procedures taking place at St. Joseph's hospital was published, what she calls "eugenic abortions" would finally come to an end. (see the storyhere)Read the entire story at Life Site News.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

from the Family Research CouncilYesterday, we praised representatives from both parties who signed a letter to the Democratic leadership sponsored by Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) urging them to protect the pro-life provisions in each appropriations bill--or, at the very least, grant members the chance to vote on amendments to restore them. Although the letter had an impressive number of signatories (181) from both parties, the Democratic leadership pushed forward with a bloated omnibus bill worth $410 billion. The legislation included $50 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) even though UNFPA violates the Kemp-Kasten provision by supporting China's forced abortion and sterilization programs.House leaders blocked amendments in the Rules Committee. While the GOP leadership signed the letter asking for votes on the pro-life riders, it chose not to exercise the one option it has as the minority party--the "motion to recommit" to amend this UNFPA provision. If Republican leaders weren't willing to use their right to offer this amendment and force a vote on this pro-life provision, it's unclear whether they will fight for other pro-life measures on appropriations bills that are scheduled to move through Congress this spring. Obviously, the massive budget-busting spending bill contained many troubling provisions, but allowing liberals to gut a pro-life rider, one which was designed to prevent our complicity in China's egregious one-child policy, is something Americans do not accept. Congressional leaders should not either. To see the list of members who voted pro-life, visit the FRC Action blog.

Maybe this is something the greenies can appreciate, that divorce causes more households, and more travel (the weekend shuffle of children) which generates more carbon emissions. Hearing that it destroys children's lives was not enough. Judith Wallerstein found that out with a groundbreaking longitudinal study which she describes in her book, "The Hidden Legacy of Divorce". Read a review here.Maybe they care more for the environment than for children, oh wait, we already knew that environmentalists don't care about babies!Senator Fielding from Australia is causing waves with comments like this:Meanwhile, Senator Fielding - one of 16 children and a husband of 20 years - yesterday continued his battle to explain the many benefits of sticking it out in a marriage.He said broken families had larger carbon footprints because people moved out, needed to find new accommodation and new utility services."We understand that there is a social problem (with divorce), but now we're seeing there is also environmental impact as well on the footprint," he said.Leave it to an aussie to get in trouble with too much truth!Divorce is parents laying their crosses down; on the shoulders of their children.

Bishop Williamson continued, "Observing these consequences I can truthfully say that I regret having made such remarks, and that if I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the Church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them."Read the entire story on Zenit.comFor in-depth discussion of the SSPX situation, read my friend Pascendi's blog Fatima Now.

Helen Alvare from the Culture of Life Foundation writes a compelling article explaining how a mother having babies turns into an embarassing media circus. Where’s the Dignity? Mother of Fourteen Becomes’ Media’s “Octomom”by Helen Alvaré, J.D., Senior Fellow in Law The headlines blared “Octomom fell fast from miracle mom to punch line,” and “Octomom erupts.” The stories were referring to a woman, Nadya Suleman, who had given birth to eight living babies by means of in vitro fertilization using donor sperm. The search for the identity of the father was not long in coming: “Man Gave Sperm 3 Times, Believes He May Be Octuplets’ Dad” (followed by the subheading: Tune in to ABC News’ “Good Morning America” Monday Feb. 23 to learn the identity of the man who possibly fathered the Suleman octuplets.”) This was followed by the response headline: “Octo-Mom: He’s Not the Dad” a story which ended with the observations “But it looks like his 15 minutes of fame are over before they began!” Social networking websites are hosting “clubs” supporting or bashing Ms. Suleman, and a YouTube music video features a Suleman impersonator spewing babies while a doctor catches them in a baseball glove.Where’s the dignity of new life in this story? Where’s the dignity of motherhood and of the family? Surveying the media carnage, there doesn’t seem to be a shred of dignity left to anyone involved with this story. We have an impoverished, multiparous, single mother with a baby-fetish, in an impoverished extended family, who meets up with an irresponsible fertility doctor willing to implant more embryos than can ordinarily safely develop or be carried to term. If you think about the scenario a bit more deeply, it is not difficult to conclude that once law and society allow human conception to take place in a retail setting, outside of an intimate marital relationship, and thus vulnerable to the tender mercies of the “laws” of the market and of fallible human desires, it’s not at all surprising that mothers and their children so conceived would be treated as legitimate objects of public commentary, scrutiny and even scorn. Decisions about how many children to have, whether to bear them serially or all at once, how to conceive them, who will be the daddy, and whether or not to get married first, all become like “preferences,” any of which can be acted upon legally, and each of which might alternatively appeal to or disgust different onlookers. In the United States, state and federal lawmakers have contributed importantly to this state of affairs by deciding not to decide. They have not taken the trouble discern or to form any social consensus about the wisdom of any of these “preferences.” Unlike their behavior in other areas of the law involving children, they have not even mandated a floor below which adults’ behavior may not fall – a floor ordinarily called the “best interests of the child.” All has been left to the market to decide. And not surprisingly, the adults who constitute and run the market – and who influence the lawmakers -- have decided both that they want babies technologically if they have difficulty bearing them naturally, and that there’ s a boatload of money to be made providing babies to would-be parents. Experts estimate the size of the U.S. fertility industry to be in the billions of dollars. (see Debora Spar, The Baby Business: How Money, Politics and Commerce Drive the Science of Conception (2006)). Thus no state has any law restricting the use of assisted reproduction to married versus single persons, or restricting the number of embryos that may safely be artificially implanted into a woman. All of this has brought us to the question with which I began this paragraph: “where’s the dignity?”The short answer is that human dignity cannot be destroyed. We are made in God’s image and likeness and can never become in essence “contemptible.” Nadya Suleman and her children are human beings made in God’s image and likeness. But indeed their dignity has sadly been obscured. In the case of the children, it has been assaulted from the beginning of their very existence.The Suleman story and the public’s vociferous response helps us understand quite clearly why the Vatican’s recent instruction (December 2008) about technological interventions upon nascent human life, was entitled Dignitatis Personae, On the Dignity of the Human Person. What is at stake is nothing less when technology intervenes in human procreation. The instruction reminds us that the dignity of every human person is real but fragile. So fragile that it is very easy for even a brilliant scientist or loving, would-be parents, to misunderstand or ignore it. Humanity’s capacity for moral understanding, and for love and disinterested sacrifice, images but cannot equal God’s.Which is why social practices and laws need to work hard to affirm and promote this dignity. Particularly to recognize the demonstrable fact that children’s and parents’ dignity is naturally upheld when procreation takes place via an act of love between committed, married parents. Consider just three aspects of this dignity that are naturally upheld when the latter situation obtains: the children are “made by love,” the only fit beginning for a human being, and within a setting naturally inclined to provide them the long-term and intensive care that human infants require. The child knows both of his or her parents, and has before him or her, an example of committed love by which to understand God’s love and to learn how to love others in the world. Finally, natural conceptions result usually in one or several children who can be carried safely to term. Questions about how many children parents decide to have, the “safety” of the method of conception for both the child and the parents, and the desirability of the “family form” into which the child is brought are almost never troubling. The law responds to this by easily leaving these matters to the natural and private choices of the parents. The parents’ and children’s dignity is almost never called into question by outsiders.Now contrast this setting with laboratory assisted conception. The latter setting raises red flags at every turn. For example, the twin rate for assisted conception patients in the year 2000 reached 444.7 per 1000 live births; the triplet rate in 2000 was 98.7 per 1000 live births. (see Trends in Multiple births Conceived using Assisted Reproductive Technologies, United States: 19970-2000, 111 Pediatrics 1159 (May 2003)) When the number of unborn children conceived artificially is sufficiently high, doctors will recommend, even insist upon, “selective reduction” (abortion of one or more of the gestating children) Doctors encourage women to accept the implantation of multiple embryos so that the fertility clinics’ “success rates” will appear high. But multiple conceptions are dangerous for the babies involved and for their mothers, and raise the question of parents’ entire original disposition toward these new lives they are carrying. Recent findings indicated that even “singleton” pregnancies via IVF carry higher risks for the child’s well-being as compared with natural conceptions. (See Gina Kolata, Picture Emerging on Genetic Risks of IVF, New York Times, February 16, 2009) Finally, childbearing outside of marriage is closely associated with difficulties for mothers and children. It is robustly correlated with poverty and with emotional and educational difficulties for the children. Planned single-parenthood, costing thousands of dollars (millions in the case of the Suleman octuplets; see Kim Yoshina and Jessica Garrison, Octuplets could be costly for taxpayers, Los Angeles Times, Feb.11, 2009) and months of efforts, seems even more quixotic, more apparently adverse to the children’s best interests in the eyes of many. Is it any wonder then that a pregnancy that began without due respect for the dignity of the lives involved would come to be associate with a most undignified media circus. Or that the public felt free to question whether a person who appeared to act like a “consumer” respecting children, made the right “consumer decisions?” They asked whether she had a right to have so many children in a world of limited resources, whether the children should receive any public monies, and whether the medical provider had a right to offer such services? Because human procreation has been reduced to a commodity for purchase questions particularly about the number of children per family can almost appear reasonable.Dignitatis Personae urges us to “recognize[] the legitimacy of the desire for a child and understand[] the suffering of couples struggling with problems of fertility.” But it reminds us that “[s]uch a desire… should not override the dignity of every human life to the point of absolute supremacy. The desire for a child cannot justify the “production” of offspring….” The Suleman saga makes manifest the assault on the dignity of human live brought about by assisted reproduction. It allows us to see clearly the risks of abandoning the natural protections for dignity offered by marital procreation. It alerts us to the inadequacy of our current laws and policies for shielding fragile human dignity. Lawmakers may respond to this current saga with proposals for restricting the simultaneous creation high numbers of embryos, or limiting the numbers of embryos which may be transferred into a woman’s uterus, or even restricting such technology to married or working parents (though I seriously doubt the latter). Such a response would be useful, but inadequate for protecting the full measure of dignity granted by God to each human person, but it would be better than this sorry state of affairs. Human beings deserve always to be brought into existence through a personal act of marital love.(c) 2009 The Culture of Life Foundaiton. Reproduction granted with attribution required.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

In an address last Saturday to participants in a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life,The pope condemned the new eugenics for reducing man to a mere body, while ignoring other important dimensions of the human person. "Man," he said, "is greater than all of that which makes up his body; in fact, he carries with him the power of thought, which is always drawn to the truth about himself and the world.""Every human being, then, is much more than a singular combination of genetic information that is transmitted to him by his parents. The generation of man can never be reduced to the mere reproduction of a new individual of the human species, as is the case with all other animals. Every appearance of a person in the world is always a new creation. If we want to enter into the mystery of human life, then it is necessary that no science isolate itself, pretending to have the last word."Read the entire story at Life Site News.

Monday, February 23, 2009

ARCHBISHOP DOLAN-PERFECT FOR NEW YORKCatholic League president Bill Donohue commented today on news that Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan will be the new Archbishop of New York:

“What a perfect fit: Archbishop Dolan has the erudition, tenacity, affability and orthodoxy necessary for a leadership role in New York. My dealings with him have been extraordinarily positive.“In the fall of 2007, the Catholic League launched a boycott and PR campaign against the Miller Brewing Company for its sponsorship of a vile anti-Catholic gay event, the Folsom Street Fair, in San Francisco. After six weeks of pounding Miller, we got what we wanted: an apology for four anti-Catholic incidents and a pledge not to sponsor the event again.from Bill Donohue“During the course of the PR campaign, we had occasion to work with Archbishop Dolan and Chaldean Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim. In both instances, their support proved to be encouraging and effective: the word went out that the Catholic community in Milwaukee, home of Miller Brewing, was seriously offended by the beer company’s role in sponsoring the Folsom Street Fair.

“In other words, Archbishop Dolan did not hesitate to step up to the plate. He showed leadership from top to bottom. Which is why a man of his character is a perfect fit for New York’s rough and tumble milieu. We look forward to working with him.”

Sunday, February 22, 2009

. . . in his Lenten Message. Read the rest of his message here. You didn't really think he read this blog, did you? Only in my dreams!May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Causa nostrae laetitiae, accompany and support us in the effort to free our heart from slavery to sin, making it evermore a "living tabernacle of God."With these wishes, while assuring every believer and ecclesial community of my prayer for a fruitful Lenten journey, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing.

Hoye had initially been charged with four counts of violating the ordinance – two counts of “unlawful approach” and two counts of using “force, threat of force or physical obstruction” against ‘escorts’ at Family Planning Specialists Clinic in Oakland. The charges stemmed from two separate incidents – one on April 29, 2008 and one on May 13, 2008. Hoye was arrested on May 13 after a clinic staff member called police. He was carrying a 40-inch sign that read, "Jesus Loves You & Your Baby. Let Us Help You," and attempting to hand out pro-life literature.Read the entire story at California Catholic Daily

Friday, February 20, 2009

Many faithful Catholics, myself included worried that Nancy Pelosi would use her audience with the Holy Father as a self-affirming photo op. Human Life International among others, made sure that didn't happen. We have many friends in Rome.Surely we were not the only organization to let the Holy See know that one of the most influential anti-life politicians in the world was about to exploit a state visit for personal political gain.As most of you are certainly aware, earlier this week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the audacity to present herself as a "faithful Catholic" on an official state visit to the Vatican.Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro, Executive Director of HLI's Rome office, was able to compile information on her anti-life voting record and her myriad misrepresentations of her Catholic faith in a letter presented directly to the Vatican Secretary of State.We were very pleased to see that the Holy Father took the opportunity to remind the Speaker about the truth of Catholic teaching on contraception and abortion, and that her desire for a harmless and high profile visit, complete with the usual photo-ops, was thwarted.As we again approach the holy season of Lent, please join me in praying and fasting to end abortion, and in praying for the conversion of our political leaders who hold such great sway over the lives of the innocent.

Pelosi’s spokesman, Brendan Daly confirmed with me just minutes ago that she has no plans to change her position on abortion.“She has said, as it says in the Democratic party platform, she wants to reduce the number of abortions,” said Daly. “But she will remain pro-choice.”No surprise here, just the usual disappointment. Keep up the prayers, Lent is coming.Read the entire story on the NC Register blog.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

According to a Pewsitter.com release, "While the Catholic faithful understand and support the behind-the-scenes dialogue and diplomacy that goes on with prominent Catholics, by the Bishops, to reconcile them with the Church, when such dissent continues for years and in some cases decades … then it becomes necessary for a Bishop to take a formal public stand to prevent further scandal."Unfortunately," continues the Pewsitter release, "what has happened is that prominent, dissenting Catholics, in public life have continued to receive communion with impunity-and this has led to the false impression that the Church condones or at least tolerates such dissenting opinions on serious moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research to name a few."Not only do these prominent Catholics disregard the Church's teachings, but in many cases they actively and publicly promote policies and legislation that undermines, opposes and contradicts the Church's teachings. Examples of such Catholics include Speaker of the House - Nancy Pelosi, Vice President - Joseph Biden, Senator Ted Kennedy, and Senator John Kerry, to name a few."(For more information or to complete the petition go to http://www.pewsitter.com/petition/)

For your outspoken defence of human life from Catholic-in-name-only politicians (Bob Casey Jr. are YOU listening?) for your defence of the Holy Eucharist from being sacreligiously received by said politicians on the illustrious feast day of St Patrick in your cathedral. and for your defence of Catholic Colleges in his home diocese from speakers who defame traditional marriage,

we salute you, Bishop Martino!

You are a true shepherd of souls!Read Deacon Fournier's column on Catholic Online.

In the latest MRC’s Culture and Media Institute’s report, leaders in both Congress and religious broadcasting fear the Fairness Doctrine would throw open the door to lawsuits by advocacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Click here to read this report.In fact, Craig Parshall, the senior vice president and general counsel of the national Religious Broadcasters painted a bleak landscape for ‘teaching and preaching programming.’Parshall added that a Fairness Doctrine-type law would also have a serious and detrimental impact on First Amendment concerns, notably on free exercise of religion concerns!As a vital member of our MRC Action Team, I urge you to read this special CMI release, and if you haven’t done so already, add your name to our Free Speech Alliance petition by going here. For those who have already signed, use this opportunity to forward this message and rally your friends and family to this important cause.As Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) warned, the reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine could not only shutdown conservative talk, but “potentially hammer Christian radio, Christian television, and it’s very important to not allow this to move forward.”Please sign our petition to protect our Free Speech Rights

Twelve year old Alfie has probably heard in his middle school health class that he should express himself sexually, as long as it 'felt right'. He certainly knew how to get his 14 year old girlfriend pregnant. What no one ever told him was that it was morally wrong to be intimate with someone you're not married to.But the schools aren't the only ones to blame.Unmarried parents, a chaotic house which is a hangout for pot smokers and a complete lack of supervison complete this sad story of children having children. Birth control and abortion are not the answer. Morality is.But first the parents have to practice it before they can preach it."Josephine Quintavalle of the Pro-Life Alliance said that it was right that no-one should not be prosecuted as the children were “victims of our society”.”We have to be pleased that they have the courage to resist the temptation to have an abortion because whoever is responsible it is not the child that has been born,” she said.”Nobody can be happy in thinking that teenagers at a younger and younger age are sexually active.”We have to drastically rethink our whole attitude to sex education.”We should have the courage to say to children at this age 'You are too young, don't do it' it is time we woke up to that.”Read the entire story in the UK Telegraph.

One of radio's most outspoken commentators, Michael Savage has had enough of the rumors that Democrats will be sneaking in a stealth version of the Fairness Doctrine. He has joined forces with the Thomas More Society to protect the First Amendment rights of Americans like me, who dare to differ from the Obama administration."A regulation of speech motivated by nothing more than a desire to silence political opposition on controversial issues of public interest is the purest example of a law abridging the freedom of speech," said Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of Thomas More Law Center."Such action is the hallmark of totalitarian governments, not a free society," he said.Democrats like Bill Clinton don't realize that they have awakened a sleeping giant, if we don't stop this now, Obama will be able to take away other freedoms and we'll have no means of defending ourselves. Freedom of speech is the hallmark of a free society, take it away, and we no longer deserve to be called "The Land of the Free". Read the entire story at World Net Daily

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

What could be worse than a tax cheat for Treasury Secretary you ask? Another tax cheat for HHS Head? NO, it gets worse. How about the Kansas Governor who helped Dr George Tiller the baby killer evade justice numerous times? Gov Kathleen Sebelius has to be the most crooked, most pro-abortion pick Obama has made yet.

"As the health secretary, Sebelius could have an impact in crafting a health care plan that could cover abortions with taxpayer funds or require insurance companies to cover abortions in their plans.Sebelius is most notorious for her close relationship with late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, who has escaped prosecution and accountability thus far for allegedly repeatedly violating state abortion laws.He's done so in part because of the lax standards of Sebelius and her political allies, to whom Tiller has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars. (See the photo of the two at a secret party honoring the notorious late term abortionist.)

Governor Sebelius vetoed a bill last April that the legislature approved that would have strengthened the state's limits on late-term abortions.That followed by a year her veto of a bill requiring explicit medical reasons for a late abortion, which was preceded by vetoing other pro-life legislation in 2006, 2005 and 2003."

Catholics around the nation were fearing that Nancy Pelosi would use her meeting with the Holy Father as a self-affirming photo-op.Her office has already tried to spin it that way, saying that she congratulated the Holy Father for the Church's stand on the environment, and helping the poor, issues which the Democrats feel comfortable claiming as Catholic issues. Since no media were present, there won't be a photo forthcoming,and Pelosi's version will be pitted against the official Vatican response to their meeting. I have decided to believe the Vatican's official take on the meeting,"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in co-operation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."Why did we ever doubt the Holy Father's ablity to deal with politicians? Thank you, Holy Father. Now let's pray for Speaker Pelosi's heart to be open to the teaching she has received.Read the entire story from Catholic News Service and another from Fox News

from Focus on the FamilyThe Obama Congress is moving quickly to funnel hundreds of millions of your tax dollars to the abortion industry.Sign the Focus Action petitionIn recent years, Congress has attached special annual funding provisions called pro-life “riders” to the spending bills to ensure that taxpayers aren’t forced to fund abortions here and overseas. Well, a move is underway to strip those “riders” from the spending bills and all this could happen in the next few weeks.New Focus Action Petition to keep your tax dollars from funding abortionFocus on the Family Action has just launched a citizen petition to oppose this latest phase in the radical, pro-abortion agenda, as well as the effort to force you and me to pay for it. As you know, President Obama has already reversed President Reagan’s pro-life “Mexico City Policy,” which prevented U.S. funds from going to overseas abortion providers. Now, Congress is set to strip pro-life “riders” from the appropriations bills. This move will force you and me to pay for abortions and services from abortion providers through our taxes.Please take a moment to sign Focus Action’s new petition to keep your tax dollarsfrom funding abortion.Votes Expected In MarchOur Focus Action research team expects the legislative battle over the taxpayer funding of abortions to begin soon. That is why we are launching this petition today. With your help, we can rally tens of thousands of citizens to take a stand.So, please take a moment to sign the petition. Then, spread the word to your friends.These are certainly times that demand our vigilance! We must be informed and engaged in these issues every step of the way. Thank you so much for the stand you are taking with Focus Action on behalf of life, faith and family.Tom MinnerySenior Vice President, Government & Public Policy

Although Dr Jerome Lejeune,to his horror soon discovered that this important discovery, along with the discovery of amnio-centesis was used to abort 90% of babies with DS, it is a victory nonetheless, as it has improved the lives of the thousands who have Down syndrome. This was the topic of discussion at the Ponitifical Academy of Life in Rome this week.

Prof Bruno Dallapiccola recalled how Down syndrome children were previously ostracized, but now, 50 years later, "kids with trisomy have managed to reach an autonomy never seen before […] and can discreetly integrate themselves into society. They earn degrees. Professor Lejeune's discovery permitted this victory."Now, despite that in some countries as many as 90% of Down syndrome babies are aborted, the professor noted that every year, he meets 10 to 20 families who welcome a Down baby.Dallapiccola recalled a visit to Lejeune in Paris in 1963. Since his discovery, he said, "something important changed in history," and "that mustn't be regretted."To celebrate this important discovery and the fact that the Church has given Dr Lejeune the title of Servant of God, which has put him on the path to sainthood, read my article at the National Catholic Register, and send me an email at marysjoys@yahoo.com with your mailing address and I'll send you a holy card of Dr Lejeune with a prayer for his intercession for a miracle.Read the entire story on Zenit.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

This legislation, if passed by the North Dakota Senate, will ensure that the unborn child is accorded the Constitutional right to life of all Americans, regardless of age. Abortion will become illegal forever in North Dakota, the first state of the Union to do so.

a breaking news press release from the American Life League

North Dakota Personhood Bill Passes State House 51-41

by Katie Walker (communications director of the American Life League)

Washington, D.C. (17 February 2009) –

The civil rights movement gained a significant victory today as the North Dakota House of Representatives voted Feb. 17 to recognize the personhood of all human beings.Led by American Life League Associate group North Dakota Life League, the personhood movement celebrated the passage of The Personhood of Children Act (House Resolution 1572), introduced by State Rep. Dan Ruby, in a 51-41 vote."We are very excited about the personhood movement in North Dakota – which has the chance to become the first state to protect the rights of all its citizens from their biological beginning," said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League.The Senate vote is expected in the next two to three weeks.Fifteen other states are currently pursuing personhood legislation.

Republican leaders in the US House of Representatives have promised to fight against passage of the Freedom of Choice Act. In an open letter to Cardinal Justin Rigali, the chairman of the US bishops' pro-life committee, Reps. John Boehner and Thaddeus McCotter-- the House Republican leader and chairman of the Republican Conference, respectively-- vow that the minority "will not be caught off-guard" by attempts to enact legislation affirming the Roe v. Wade decision.

Boehner and McCotter thanked Cardinal Rigali for his clear stance in defense of life, articulating in a February 5 letter to all members of the US Congress. "We stand with you n the defense of all human life," the Republican leaders said.

Convert ObamaPosted: 16 Feb 2009 11:00 PM CSTHey guys,I know that the site has been having some problems in some of the video sections, and updates have been less frequent. I do have the site going up on a new server soon, with an all new design and feature set, but I’ve been working on another project recently that I felt was really needed.Joe McClane and I, AKA The Catholic Hack, recently launched a new Lenten Project called Convert Obama. It’s geared towards bringing Catholics together to offer prayer and sacrafice this Lent for the conversion of Barak Obama, and an end to abortion in America.So please keep both Catholic Tube and Convert Obama in your prayers. Help spread the word, tell your friends, sign up for this Lenten mission of prayer and sacrafice for the souls of the innocent unborn.God Bless!

An excellent article by Dave Andrusko on the grassroots movement that gave rise to KIDS Keep Infants with Down syndrome, and our participation in the March for Life this year.Read the entire article here.

In anticipation of Obama's signing of the ominous omnibus spending spree, and it's deadly secrets, I thought that this article might serve to remind us WHO is really in charge of the world.God will not be mocked, He is still sovereign, and it's wonderful to see His power in a story like this. This was sent to me by a reader.Sometimes, God gives us what we want even when we don't know enough to ask for it. This single mother thought she couldn't endure another child with a kidney defect like her first two, so when her contraception failed, and a child was conceived, she had him aborted at 8 weeks, or so she thought. At 19 weeks, she felt a flutter and discovered the abortion wasn't successful. Now she has a nearly perfect newborn son and couldn't be happier.Miss Percival said: "I just couldn’t believe that this child had got through it all and looked so perfect."He may need an operation but as only one of his kidneys is affected he can survive. I still struggle to believe just what he has fought through. Now he’s here I wouldn’t change it for the world."Read the entire story here at the Telegraph UK.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

from our pro-life friends at the Susan B. Anthony list.Today is the 189th anniversary of the the birthday of Susan B. Anthony.Many of our opponents want to hide the fact that Susan B. Anthony and the other women suffragists were staunchly pro-life. Both you and I know that to be pro-woman is to be pro-life!

"Guilty? Yes. No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; but oh, thrice guilty is he who...drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime!"-Susan B. Anthony, The Revolution, 1869

Friday, February 13, 2009

"Tragically, the great majority of babies who are diagnosed with Down syndrome while still in the womb are never welcomed into a family. Of those parents who are told their unborn child has Down syndrome at least 90% choose to abort the baby.The enormity of this crisis led Eileen Haupt and Leticia Velasquez, who both have daughters with Down syndrome, to work together to challenge the misinformation that often leads a mother to abort her child diagnosed to have Down syndrome. As Haupt said, "The one thing that prenatal testing cannot tell you is the unspeakable joy that your child with Down syndrome will give you."Though Eileen Haupt and I met for the first time in person at the March, the closeness of our kindred spirits continue to amaze me. For example, when asked to add my own thoughts to Dave Andrusko for this article, I was left speechless by the elegance of the above quote from Eileen. Those are my sentiments exaclty, I thought, what more could I add? We sense that God has formed a team with us, and that our work with KIDS is just beginning. . .Read the entire story here.

But please do not think this is just for young people. You don’t need to be a technology “wiz” to use any of these social networking tools. If you have a young person in the house, nine chances out of ten they use all of these vehicles. They can teach you how to use one or all of them in a very, very short period of time.Through online social networks, the youth of our movement are becoming better connected with each other and with our cause. If we continue to nurture and encourage this exciting new trend, the future of the pro-life movement will only get brighter as our bonds grow stronger!HT National Right to Life News. Read the entire story here.This was undeniably the most common message at the March for Life Conferences this year: get connected! Those of us who blog feel more connected than most, however, in one week on Facebook, I have over 300 pro-life 'friends' with whom I share news, join causes, encourage, console in grief, pray for, and form networks. Many of them you will know: Norma McCorvey, Sandra Cano, FrMichael Scanlan, Fr Frank Pavone, Joe Schiedler, Chris Slattery, David Bereit, Jill Stanek, Dr Alveda King, Senator Sam Brownback, and Lila Rose.Did I mention that my blog readership has increased?!

Then come and visit my profile and make me your friend.Together we can oppose the tsnami of pro-death spending about to hit us.YES WE CAN!

I haven't posted much on the Stimulus Bill because I try to keep to life issues here, and once the contraceptive provision was eliminated the worst thing you could say about the bill is that it would put us in enormous debt forever, probably beholden to potentially hostile foreign powers. But then, we elected Democrats whose track record should have told us as much.Unfortunately, that is not the end of the story on this dangerous stimulus bill, however. It's a sneak attack to re-write our healthcare system, virtually same program as Bill Clinton tried to foist on us publicly. But Obama is clever, he has learned from the debacle which Bill Clinton's plan suffered. His changes to the health care systemare to be accomplished by stealth, they are buried deep in the 2,000 page bill which was given first to lobbyists, THEN to members of Congress last night, so they'd have to read ALL NIGHT to cover all the provisions. It's a safe guess that few if any in Congress will have read the bill before the vote.IF this is the beginning of socialized health care, and the anti-life appointees of the Obama administration are the ones deciding who gets what care, you can say goodbye to frail elderly, frail premature babies, or handicapped relatives. They are akin to the "useless eaters" of National Socialism(Nazi Party) of 1930s Germany. If you are too feeble to produce, you don't get care. IF you are a health care provider who disagrees with the denial of care, you're out of a job. This is a death sentence for many in this nation.Here's an inteview on Lou Dobbs where the dangerous provisions of the Stimulus Plan are described. ( All comments in black are mine). This is from an email, the Lou Dobbs Show and the Conservative Caucus.What the "Stimulus Bill" has hidden deep in page 496 has very disturbing implications. One world order is on the move. Everybody, down on your knees! It’s the only way we can weather this thing.

"It [the Stimulus Bill] promises several things. It promises that whatever the system is, it's going to eliminate inefficient care, excessive care, duplicate of care. It's going to eliminate disparities of care between one person and another…Whatever the federal government deems unnecessary care. Take a look at page 442. And worse yet, and now I'm speaking really to the physicians, this bill gives the secretary of health and human services the power to determine which doctors are "meaningful users of this new system." That's against the rules not to be. And empowers the secretary to use "increasingly stringent measures to enforce compliance." Translation: you better not claim that our new policies bother your conscience, or you're out of a job. - Fmr. NY Lt Governor Betsy McCaughey on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" 2/10/09Dear Fellow Republicans, Conservatives, Constitutionalists, and other Patriotic Americans:Buried in the "Stimulus Bill" is a provision that gives the HHS Secretary the power to deny patients "excessive" care. What is excessive care and who decides what is excessive care?Answer; the HHS Secretary! (I thought liberals didn't want the government getting in the way of health decisions between the patient and his/her doctor – as they say when they defend legal abortion). In short, this bill makes the HHS Secretary America's health dictator. Is providing a feeding tube to a brain damaged woman excessive care? How about a feeding tube to a elderly or disabled person? How about cancer surgery to someone over 80?I just found about this last night. Lord only knows how many other radical measures are buried in this bill. No wonder why they are rushing this through. Call your Senators and congressman and tell them to pull this out.Below is the Lou Dobbs Tonight transcript and a Conservative Caucus bulletin.

Lou Dobbs Transcript:DOBBS:Well, hidden deep within the stimulus package are provisions that could greatly limit the health care that we all receive. My next guest says those provisions in fact could give the federal government unprecedented control over our medical treatment. Betsy McCaughey is former governor of New York , she's the founder and the chair of the committee to reduce infection deaths. She's also senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. Great to have you with us. BETSY MCCAUGHEY, CMTE. TO REDUCE INFECTION DEATHS: Thank you. I really appreciate this opportunity to call to the public's attention and actually encourage them to look in this bill which anybody can download now. It looks big. But if you have a computer, you can download it. DOBBS: We're having warring legislation.MCCAUGHEY: I've got my pink slips on mine. And this bill will affect every individual in the United States . The bill is emphatic about that. Every person in the United States , every individual, check out page 445, 454, 479. It says several things, Lou. First of all, it says that every single person in the U.S. must have their medical treatments entered into an electronic federal data base. Now, electronic medical records can be a good thing. It means if you have to go to the hospital, you can get your records instantly. That your doctor has more at his fingertips when he needs that information.DOBBS: I think everyone would agree, absolutely beneficial.MCCAUGHEY: Yes. DOBBS: And something that we would look forward to. Your problem -- MCCAUGHEY: It's compulsory, however. In addition, it goes much farther than that. It promises several things. It promises that whatever the system is, it's going to eliminate inefficient care, excessive care, duplicate of care. It's going to eliminate disparities of care between one person and another.DOBBS: The issue is, in whose opinion is it --MCCAUGHEY: That's right. Whatever the federal government deems unnecessary care. Take a look at page 442. And worse yet, and now I'm speaking really to the physicians, this bill gives the secretary of health and human services the power to determine which doctors are "meaningful users of this new system." That's against the rules not to be. And empowers the secretary to use "increasingly stringent measures to enforce compliance." DOBBS: You know the proponents of this legislation are saying that it's only about the technology, only about the data. How do you respond?MCCAUGHEY: First of all, I'd like to know why it's slipped in here, this is a stimulus bill. It's about taxing and spending. The spending --DOBBS: I know you well enough to know when you ask a question, you've got the answer.MCCAUGHEY: I looked at page 196 of Tom Daschle's book. Remember, he was planning on being secretary of HHS, Health and Human Services. On page 196 he said he was going to advise the next president, this was written before President Obama was elected, that any health care legislation be slipped into a budget bill, so that it would avoid debate or delay. He said this issue is so important, that it should not be stalled by senate protocol. Well, senate protocol is his word for it. I call it democracy.DOBBS: We wouldn't want to burden government with a little thing like a vote, and actual hearings. A little bit like the economic stimulus legislation, isn't it.MCCAUGHEY: That's right. Where is the transparency they promised?DOBBS: And where are we headed with this legislation? We'll find out.

CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS:Dear Fellow American,I urge you to immediately call your two U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and urge them to vote NO on the "Stimulus" bill.Hidden in the massive stimulus bill is the first part of the socialized health care system we've been dreading, and it could kill you—literally.Government bureaucrats will draw up charts assigning arbitrary values to each element of health care, and weigh them against factors such as age and medical history; and someone you will never be able to meet will decide whether or not your life is insufficiently valuable to treat, and they could prevent your doctor from providing the treatment you need.In 2006, a similar English system ordered that elderly patients with macular degeneration had to wait until they went blind in one eye before they could get a costly drug to save the other eye. That could become an everyday drama in hospitals and doctors offices across the country. They might as well tattoo "Die" on the victim's foreheads.This was one of the ideas Senator Daschle recommended, and while public outrage kept him from being confirmed to be the HHS Secretary, his deadly idea lives on, hidden in the stimulus bill which will be voted on anytime in the next few days. The bill number is H.R. 1, but it's just known as the Stimulus Bill. You can call it the "Death Stimulus Bill" when you call, just so they get the point.Please call both your senators at 202-224-3121 now. Tell them to vote NO on the stimulus bill and that there is health care rationing in the bill. Post it on blogs and websites. Call and email talk shows. Email a letter to the editor of your newspaper. You can email your Senators, but please call them first because they will notice if we jam the phone lines, but they could ignore email until after the vote.You can also call the Senator's home-state offices, you'll find the numbers on their websites at www.Senate.gov. Senate emails: www.conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm.We must spread the alarm immediately to stop this bill.You can read the bill yourself at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1eh.txt.pdf or read the status at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1: (you do need the colon at the end of this address). Most of the dangerous health care parts of the bill are on pages 190-192, 442, 444-446, 479, 511, 518 and 540-541.Thank you very much.Sincerely,Art HarmanWebmasterThe Conservative Caucus

UPDATE: A prolife doctor friend was very discouraged by this news and wrote:"I don't know what the future holds for our country. Some days it is just all too depressing. Looks like I may have to find another career... or go underground, but then the govt probably wouldn't give me a medical license to practice since they already control that."

Planned Parenthood has set up a special fund so that donations may be given in her name, in order to mock her pro-abortion views."I have boxes of thank-you notes from people associated with Planned Parenthood thanking me for the donations," she said during a press conference. "It's political theater -- it's great theater, I guess, for some."Palin said that she and Planned Parenthood may "agree on a mission here that we'd like to see fewer and fewer abortions, I, embracing the culture of life, have perhaps a different approach in how I would like to see that goal reached."The donations are "not going to change my views or the views of many other Alaskans who believe every life is precious," Palin added.

Blogger Rod Drehar, of BeliefNet, highlighted the email and suggested that pro-life advocates launch a counter campaign to support pregnancy centers in Palin’s name.“You may wish to donate to your local pro-life crisis pregnancy center to offset any contribution to the abortionists. If you don't know how to find one, you can always give to CareNet, a national organization that runs a network of crisis pregnancy centers,” he says.Drehar calls the email “tactically brilliant” but “of course wicked.”“I suggest any readers who donate to a pro-life cause to counter that do so in Trig Palin's name, and send notification to” the Republican Party or McCain’s campaign.Related web sites:

Thursday, February 12, 2009

This year, I had the rare opportunity to meet Rabbi Yehuda Levin in front of the Supreme Court, to thank him for his outrageously funny and boldly pro-life talks at the March for Life every year. I told him of our efforts with KIDS and wished him Shalom. He is proof that ecumenism isn't about ignoring our differences, it's about celebrating what we share; love for the God of life and the source of all truth.

The Rabbi and I also agree on this. When are we going to have an end to the uproar caused by SSPX Bishop Williamson's foolish denial of the Holocaust? The Pope has denounced his remarks, his superior, Bishop Fellay has silenced him, so it should be a dead issue but somehow this issue just continues to live in the press. . .The Rabbi is from Brooklyn: he's no dope, he smells an agenda at work. A liberal Catholic one."Rabbi Levin said that he believed that the Vatican has dealt appropriately with the controversial comments by SSPX Bishop Richard Williamson. However, he said that while this will will put to rest the "ridiculous" suggestions that the Pope is anti-Semitic, it will not end the controversy."At this point there has been a wonderfully strong renunciation of Bishop Williamson by the Vatican and therefore the Jewish community from their statements seems to be satisfied that things are going in the right way," he said. "This is just going to increase the frenzy of left wing Catholics, whether outside the Church or inside, because they now have to carry the ball in terms of keeping the attack on the Pope going."German dissident priest-theologian Hans Kung is one such left-wing Catholic, who recently suggested in an article that Barack Obama would make a better Pope than Benedict. Writing in the German publication Sueddeutsche, Kung expressed his wish that Obama were the Pope. "The mood in the church is oppressive, reforms are paralyzed, and the church in crisis," he said. "Benedict is unteachable in matters of birth control and abortion, arrogant and without transparency and restrictive of freedom and human rights. "By the way, The Holy Father has just announced to Jewish leaders that he will be visiting Israel next May.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

An Italian version of Terri Schiavo's tragic dehydration death has come to Italy, in the shadow of the Vatican. This time it was the victim's own father who insisted on killing her, despite efforts from the Italian Parliament, and Prime Minister, she has died."Last week, the comatose 37-year-old Italian woman was taken by her father Beppino from a hospital in Lecco, Italy, where Eluana was receiving care from Sisters of Mercy. She had been in a coma since 1992 as a result of injuries she sustained in a car accident.Her father acted without legal authorization, in order to place Eluana in a medical clinic in Udine that was willing to kill her by depriving her of the food and hydration she required through a feeding tube in order to stay alive. "Why is it that one person, with a will to kill a loved one can overcome the efforts of an entire national government? It happened with Terri Schiavo. Her husband Michael overcame the efforts of both Governor and President Bush, and the US Congress and successfully dehydrated his wife to death. The Culture of Death grows stronger with each tragedy like this. Don't be complacent and think this can't happen to you; a new study shows that 40% of comatose "vegetative state" patients are misdianosed.Read the entire story at the NCR blog.

Friday, February 06, 2009

I've got to stop saying "Surely this is the worst nominee Obama's got up his sleeve". Now he wants Davide Ogden, the protector of sleaze.Ogden, Obama's choice for second-in-command at the Justice Department, took plenty of heat during his confirmation hearing yesterday for his advocacy of child porn and the adult entertainment industry in general. "I was young then," he explained. The Deputy Attorney General-designate represented Playboy to sue for access to smut at the Library of Congress. He won. Ogden also fought against Internet filters in public libraries, called regulations on child pornographers "terrifying," and tried to defeat parental notification for minors' abortions. His nomination should signal to voters that this is just the beginning of Obama's campaign to undermine families through the courts. Now is the time to draw the line on extremism.\ Call your senators today at (202) 224-3121 and tell them you oppose Ogden's nomination.from the Family Research Council.

It always puzzled me that subscribers to the Culture of Death mindset have few if any children. and those who love life have many. Soon we should outnumber them, and save the world. But there's one flaw in this plan; they own the media, the public schools, the universities and Hollywood. They steal our children's hearts and minds if we aren't vigilant. Glenn Beck and Fr Jonathan Morris discussed this on his show last night. Fr Morris reaffirmed the Church's teaching that parents are their children's first teachers, and Glenn compared Al Gore's speech to the indoctrination of the Hitler Youth.On the tape, Gore states: "When I was your age and the civil rights revolution was unfolding, and we kids asked our parents and their generation, 'Explain to me again why it's okay for the law to officially discriminate against people because of their skin color?'"And when our parents' generation couldn't answer that question, that's when the law started to change. There are some things about our world that you know that older people don't know," he continued.This tactic is nothing new. I remember the biggest argument I ever got in with my dad in elementary school in the mid-seventies is when our 6th grade teacher, Ms Koons, sent us home to grade our parents with an "Are You Prejudiced?" test. I told my father he was a racist because he said that the Jewish people are a race and a religion. The test said no, but now I know who was right. Dad, of course!Separation of parents and children ideologically is what public schools do best. It's what they are for, according to Adolf Hitler. Guess who outlawed homeschooling in Germany?So did John Dewey"Dewey believed that neither traditional moral norms nor traditional philosophical ethics were up to the task of coping with the problems raised by these dramatic transformations. Traditional morality was adapted to conditions that no longer existed. Hidebound and unreflective, it was incapable of changing so as to effectively address the problems raised by new circumstances. Traditional philosophical ethics sought to discover and justify fixed moral goals and principles by dogmatic methods. Its preoccupation with reducing the diverse sources of moral insight to a single fixed principle subordinated practical service to ordinary people to the futile search for certainty, stability, and simplicity.In practice, both traditional morality and philosophical ethics served the interests of elites at the expense of most people. To address the problems raised by social change, moral practice needed to be thoroughly reconstructed, so that it contained within itself the disposition to respond intelligently to new circumstances. Dewey saw his reconstruction of philosophical ethics as a means to effect this practical reconstruction." Source: The Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyRead the entire story at World Net Daily.

Prolife Leader Calls for Prayer and FastingTo Save Black Pastor Facing 2 years in JailMT. FREEDOM, NJ – Just one month after celebrating Martin Luther King’s birthday, a black Pastor faces a 2-year jail term following a 9-month ordeal that began when he was arrested for peacefully witnessing in front of an Oakland, California, abortion facility.

He is Walter B. Hoye II, a deeply compassionate pastor from nearby Berkeley. At a sentencing hearing on February 19, 2009, he faces two years in jail, and a $4,000 fine for allegedly harassing women entering an abortion clinic and failing to maintain an 8-foot distance from them.It doesn’t matter that he has a video proving that he did nothing of the sort.On January 15, he was nevertheless convicted of unlawfully approaching clients coming for abortions at the clinic. His conviction foreshadows even stiffer sentences if President Obama signs the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) into law. FOCA will effectively end civil rights for pro-life activists.All Pastor Hoye did was wear a sign reading, “Jesus Loves You! Let us help!” He also offered women information on abortion alternatives with his customary smile. “Can I talk to you for a minute about abortion alternatives? I was simply offering them a choice,” he says.But for now, Walter Hoye is at the mercy of the court.That’s why Dennis Howard, President of the Movement for a Better America, is calling for a nationwide campaign of prayer and fasting from now through February 19 – and continuing after that date if Pastor Hoye is sent to jail. “I invite all people of good will to join in this campaign of mercy for Pastor Hoye.”Pastor Hoye tells his moving story in a 12-page testimony called “Letters from a California Courtroom,” just published by The Movement for a Better America and the Issues4Life Foundation. It is available on both organizations’ websites.Commenting on Hoye’s testimony, Howard said:“This is every bit as powerful a document as Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ – written 46 years ago. It is must reading for every pro-lifer, every enemy of genocide by abortion, and every opponent of the exploitation of the helpless and the unborn”Howard called on “bishops, pastors, churches, pro-life organizations, and all people of good will to fast and pray that this good and holy man will receive mercy from the court, and be allowed to continue his heartfelt ministry while respecting reasonable limits imposed by the court.”Howard added, “It is vital that pro-lifers show their respect for the court during this period by praying and fasting as an alternative to demonstrating in front of abortion clinics. No one will gain if Pastor Hoye is summarily taken off to jail, away from his beloved wife Lori and his beloved ministry.”He said: “We need to lay our prayers and sacrifices before the Lord in our churches, in our homes, in adoration chapels across our nation. These killing centers are satanic workshops. Yes, we must witness in front of abortion mills, but it is time we asked: Are we sending up our petitions in the right places? We better start praying a lot harder in our churches and our homes, or we risk losing those freedoms, too.”Howard also sees this as “an opportunity for the pro-life movement to show greater unity and solidarity. This is not 'our' campaign. It belongs to the whole movement, and the sooner we all start working together, the sooner this struggle can be won.”He invited all pro-life groups – state, local, national -- to download the “Letters” document, send links to their email lists, and post them on their websites.“This may be our last chance to stop FOCA,” he said. “If FOCA passes, a darkness will descend across America. Pastor Hoye is the light that could end the darkness.”He pointed out: “February is Black History Month. Let us celebrate it by working to end genocide by abortion. It is time to defend all of the unborn. What a tragedy it would be if a genuine follower of Martin Luther King, Jr., -- like Pastor Hoye – should end up going to jail in Oakland 46 long years after Dr. King went to jail in Birmingham.”Howard also invited people to write to their state and local leaders – including pastors, bishops, governors, mayors – as well as Congress and the President.

The President said,“But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.”"When will he speak out for the personhood of the unborn? Such hypocrisy is staggering. How does he sleep at night?Read Tom McFeely's editorial at the NC Register, Deacon Keith Fournier at Catholic Online.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been diagnosed with lethal Pancreatic Cancer. I pray she repents of her staunch support of abortion before God calls her home, so that she rejoices in the mercy of God rather than suffers in His justice.THENcomes the battle of Obama's presidency; the battle for the balance of the Supreme Court. Before the sudden upsurge of Republican oppostion to the budget and Tom Daschle's nomination to HHS, I would have been cringing at the near certain prospect of an uber liberal nominee sailing through the Senate confirmation process, just as Justice Ginsburg, an ACLU lawyer, was confirmed 99 to 1.But now that the Republicans found their backbones, with the help of millions of your emails, I pray we can give whoever may replace Justice Ginsburg one heck of a battle.Like Ted Kennedy gave Justices Sam Alito and John Roberts.May God grant him final repentance as well.Both Ginsburg and Kennedy will have to answer to a Higher Court soon.

Fr Euteneuer warns that many forms of popular entertainment are portals by which satan enters souls.

“Most people with demonic problems have opened a door somewhere,” said Fr. Euteneuer. He cited the popularity of the occult in bringing people closer to demonic interaction, primarily through the growth of the New Age movement and other paraphernalia. He said that even Hasbro markets Ouija boards to children.

“I’m very set against Harry Potter,” he said. “It’s pumping into our children’s minds the language and imagery of the occult. It’s extremely spiritually dangerous.”

He also called attention to a growing fascination with the cult of the vampire, especially through the popularity of books and movies like Twilight, where the main character falls in love with a vampire.“

I predict that in the next 10 years or so, we’ll see an explosion of occult activity,” said Fr. Euteneuer. “The number of soft-core occultism in the form of things like Harry Potter, Wicca and the New Age is on the increase.

These are the gateways to the hardcore stuff. Ask any inner-city police department if they’re seeing evidence of Satanism. They’re organizing whole task forces to deal with crimes having to do with these things. As society becomes more faithless, this wickedness comes and fills the vacuum.”

This is where I get my aversion to books like Harry Potter, and the ubiquitous Twilight series. I trust priests like Fr Gabriele Amorth and Fr Euteneuer who have dealt with the devil in souls. They are speaking from experience, not personal taste. We should listen to them before someone we love is ensnared.

On February 3, Link TV featured a three and a half minute video that mocks Catholicism. The media outlet is available as a basic service in more than 31 million homes that receive direct broadcast satellite TV.

The video, “Divine Food,” opens with a priest waking up to a rumbling noise that shakes the religious symbols and statues in his room. He proceeds to a Catholic church where he discovers several wafers near a cup (the implication is that they are consecrated Hosts). In a disrespectful manner, he chews them vigorously and then admonishes the statues that are “looking at him.” He falls asleep in the church and when awakened he is asked to say Mass, which he refuses to do. The priest then makes large wafers out of dough and gives the pancake-like substance (which he calls the “Body of Christ”) to confused parishioners at Communion. The video ends when he drops the remaining “Hosts” into a dirty aquarium.

Here is what Catholic League president Bill Donohue said about it:

“This video first aired last summer, right after a professor from the University of Minnesota intentionally desecrated the Eucharist. Now it’s being shown again. At first we thought this was just another loony attack, but then we found out that Link TV is funded by foundations that support anti-Catholicism. To wit: the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Wallace Global Fund and George Soros’ Open Society Institute all fund Link TV, and all are generous contributors to Catholics for Choice, a notoriously anti-Catholic front group. Worse, of the three co-producers of the video, one of them—ITVS—is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a public entity.

“So here we have the urbane bigots in the foundation world, and a taxpayer-funded organization, underwriting anti-Catholicism. We will ask Link TV to pull the video. We hope we don’t have to do more.”

Judge Andrew Napolitano said, and I agree with him, that it's a good thing that this woman did NOT abort any of her octuplets. But she is divorced, and already overwhelmed by the six children she has, and without a husband or enough income, has 14 children to care for. This would not be possible without IVF. God never intended for a single mother to be able to bring 8 children into the world, and according to the IVF people, she broke the rules by not being ready to abort some of them. Did she even ask her ex-husband permission? They are his children. He may even be financially responsible for them.

What a complicated web we have woven with In-Vitro Fertilization! This is what happens when we play God; we kill the children He sends us in abortion, and decide when to make them in a lab, regardless of common sense or moral duty to the children. Now this woman will have to rely heavily on the government to raise the family she should not have had.

Poor children of such thoughtless mother! I wish the family well, but want the public to learn a lesson, every act of In-Vitro Fertilization leaves frozen human embryos in a lab where they will either be destroyed or experimented on."According to the grandmother of octuplets born in California last week, rather than allow her leftover frozen embryos to be destroyed, dissected in a laboratory, or frozen indefinitely, their mother chose to give them a chance at life by implanting them in her womb.Little did she expect to give birth to eight relatively healthy babies, or to be deluged first by congratulations, then by scorn, as critics questioned her choice not to selectively abort as a single mother of reportedly little means."She was told this when she had the first fertility treatments, and if it bothered her then, she should not have had them.That was the time to make the right choice.Judy Brown said, "this case actually highlight the grave moral reasons why the Catholic Church has so consistently identified the practice of IVF as gravely evil. http://catholicinsight.com/online/church/vatican/article_475.shtml The babies are not evil; the practice is simply unacceptable, according to Catholic medical ethics. As a matter of fact, each of those babies are blessings; they are gifts from God — not products from an assembly line, as some would suggest."HT Renew America

The Creighton Fetility Method has an 80% success rate and no babies are destroyed, no moral laws broken, for a fraction of the $20,000 per IVF treatment. When will we women learn to respect our bodies as sacred vessels for bringing life to the world, not sites for medical profiteering?When I was expecing Christina (naturally) I was treated at a fertility clinic with Progesterone because of my three previous miscarriages. I offered the doctor a book, "Fertility Cycles and Nutrition" by Marilyn Shannon, which had helped me, and he threw it back at me! No one makes big money teaching nutrition.Read the entire story at Life Site News.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
Dante

St. Gertrude Prayer

Eternal Father, I offer thee the most precious blood of thy divine son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.